Kayhi boys slam Sitka, even series

Kings return to full strength, dominate series with Wolves

Posted: Wednesday, February 18, 2004

By JUNEAU EMPIRE

Last weekend the Kings got injured starters Tyler Richardson and Casey Bass back and - despite limited action by the returning players - the result was a finely tuned machine as the Ketchikan boys swept a pair of Region V-Class 4A games from the Sitka Wolves at Ketchikan's Clarke Cochrane Gymnasium. The Kings won 85-41 on Friday and 65-45 on Saturday, avenging a pair of losses in Sitka last month.

Now it's the Wolves who are missing key players. Sitka already was missing leading scorer Andrew Broschat to mononucleosis, and starting guard George Wathen was injured in Friday's game and didn't play Saturday.

In Friday's game, Ketchikan jumped out to a 17-2 lead at the end of the first quarter and it was 29-2 midway into the second before the Wolves found their range. The Kings led 43-13 at halftime and 61-20 at the end of the third quarter. Ketchikan's biggest lead was 49 points midway through the fourth quarter.

"That's what we've been waiting for," said Kayhi senior Nate Norton, who scored 27 points - 21 in the first half - to lead the Kings (11-7 overall, 2-2 region). "We just set the intensity for the game right from the beginning, and that's how we should be playing right now. I hope it stays that way."

Norton made his first nine shots from the field and finished 12-for-15 for the game. Derek Clark scored 14 points and Jesse LeBeau added 13 for Ketchikan. Richardson and Bass both saw action in three quarters and had a foul apiece, but neither scored.

Mitch Hawk scored 16 points to lead Sitka, despite foul trouble that kept him sidelined for part of the first half. Keith Stedman added eight points for the Wolves (5-14 overall, 2-4 region).

In Saturday's game, things were closer through the first half and Ketchikan led just 31-26 at the break. But the Kings opened things up in the third quarter and took a 50-38 lead into the final period.

Norton scored seven of his team-high 14 points in the third quarter to lead Ketchikan, while Clark had 13, LeBeau scored 11, Richardson added 10 and Bass chipped in eight points for the Kings.

"(Sitka has) this bell they ring every time they get a big win, and they rang it on us twice already," Richardson, a junior, told the Ketchikan Daily News after Saturday's game. "It felt good to get these wins and boost our rankings in state. We're really excited to have everyone back together."

Carrington Gorman scored 20 points to lead Sitka, while E.B. Crow chipped in 11 points for the Wolves.

Ketchikan heads to Juneau this weekend to play the Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears (8-8 overall, 2-0 region) in a pair of region games Friday and Saturday at the JDHS main gym. Game times are 8 p.m. for varsity, 6:15 p.m. for junior varsity and 4:15 p.m. for C teams each night. Sitka is idle this weekend.

Mount Edgecumbe goes 2-1 in Barrow

The 14-game winning streak came to an end for the Mount Edgecumbe High School boys basketball team, as the Braves lost 63-49 to Barrow in the finale of the Barrow Whalers Invitational on Saturday night in Barrow.

Earlier in the tournament, the Braves toppled the Grace Christian School Grizzlies 81-51 on Thursday and beat the Class 4A Soldotna Stars 76-50 on Friday. Saturday's loss was the first loss for Mount Edgecumbe since a 67-62 defeat by Petersburg in the Braves' season-opener.

Two Mount Edgecumbe players made the all-tournament team - Josh Thomas and Matt Mercier, who are both Barrow residents attending the state-run boarding school in Sitka. Mount Edgecumbe is 14-2 overall and 7-1 in Region V-Class 3A games.

On Saturday, Barrow's Wiggens Lampe and Dominic Lozano each hit four 3-pointers to lead the victorious Whalers, who were only up 26-23 at halftime before pulling away in the second half. Lozano finished with a team-high 20 points for Barrow. Max Shellabarger scored 15 points for Mount Edgecumbe, while Mercier, Brandon Thomas and George Beans added eight apiece for the Braves.

On Thursday, the Braves jumped out to a 21-4 lead in the first quarter and still led 37-15 at halftime. Josh Thomas scored 29 points to lead Mount Edgecumbe, while Brandon Thomas added 13 points and Shellabarger chipped in 11. Joseph Gugel led Grace Christian with 14 points.

Petersburg, Wrangell split

Cody Bell hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the second quarter, helping the Petersburg High School boys basketball team break open a close game as the Vikings beat the Wrangell Wolves 61-33 Saturday night in Wrangell. On Friday, the Wolves knocked off the Vikings 49-31 to gain a split of the Region V-Class 3A series, which was Wrangell's homecoming.

In Saturday's game, Petersburg led 27-26 late in the half when Bell hit his 3-pointers. That gave the Vikings a 33-26 halftime lead, and Petersburg used the momentum to outscore the Wolves 26-9 in the second half.

In Friday's game, Wilson scored 18 points to lead Wrangell in its upset victory, while Dwight Yancey added 12 points and the duo of McCloskey and Nick Howell had nine points each. Jeb Phillips scored eight points and Bryce Covington added seven for the Vikings, who never threatened.

Craig sweeps Haines

Alexei Gamble scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Craig High School boys basketball team to a 72-63 victory over the Haines Glacier Bears on Saturday, helping the Panthers earn a sweep of a Region V-Class 3A series in Craig. On Friday, the Panthers claimed a 61-40 victory as the Glacier Bears struggled to find their range after a long ferry ride.

On Friday, Hamilton scored 24 points, while Isaacs and Gamble added nine apiece for Craig, which held Haines to just four points in the first quarter. Egolf led Haines with 14 points and Stigen added 10.

Hydaburg sweeps Kake

Reginald Nathan's bucket was the game-clincher Sunday as the defending Class 2A state champion Hydaburg High School boys basketball team rallied to claim a 50-48 victory over the Kake Thunderbirds in Kake. On Saturday, the Warriors claimed a 46-38 victory to earn a sweep of the Region V-Class 2A series.

In Sunday's game, Kake led 26-19 at halftime and 38-37 entering the fourth quarter, but Hydaburg rallied for the victory to remain unbeaten in region play. David Edenshaw scored eight of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Warriors (8-2 overall, 7-0 region), while George Peratrovich added 10 points and Ben Young had eight. Tim Demmert scored 14 points and Tracy Jackson added 11 to lead the T-Birds (9-8 overall, 7-5 region), while Derek Knudsen chipped in eight points.

On Saturday, the game was tied 29-all entering the fourth quarter but Edenshaw and Peratrovich combined for 17 points in the final period. Peratrovich scored 20 points and Edenshaw had 17 to lead Hydaburg. Jackson led Kake with 17 points and Demmert scored nine.

Yakutat sweeps Skagway

Ben Dunbar hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points on Friday to lead the Yakutat High School boys basketball team to a 68-32 victory over the Skagway Panthers in Yakutat. On Thursday, the Eagles won 58-37 to sweep the Region V-Class 2A series.

Dierick scored 23 points and Klushkan added 14 to lead the Eagles on Thursday, with Sam Ferguson chipping in nine. Knorr led Skagway with 22 points, while German exchange student Florian Wischnat added eight points and Cochran had seven for the Panthers.

Hydaburg sweeps Hoonah

George Peratrovich, last year's Class 2A state player of the year, scored 62 points total to lead the Hydaburg High School boys basketball team to a midweek two-game Region V-Class 2A series sweep of the Hoonah Braves in Hoonah. The Warriors edged the Braves 52-50 on Wednesday, then claimed a 58-37 victory on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Peratrovich scored eight of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors held off a late rally by Hoonah. Reginald Nathan added eight points for Hydaburg, while James Washington and Edenshaw both scored seven. Bowen led Hoonah with 16 points, Josh Dybdahl added 11, Moritz scored nine and D.J. Lindstrom chipped in eight for the Braves.

Klawock sweeps Thorne Bay

The Chieftains beat the Wolverines in both games of their series last weekend, but no details were available. Klawock improved to 4-6 Region V-Class 2A and overall, while Thorne Bay fell to 1-4 region, 1-7 overall.

 COMPLETE SOUTHEAST BASKETBALL STANDINGS ARE ON PAGE B2. The Ketchikan Daily News contributed to this report. The Juneau Empire's weekly Southeast Hoops Roundup feature is compiled by Charles Bingham and Andrew Krueger from results sent to the Empire by school athletic directors and team coaches. Scoresheets and/or game highlights should be faxed to 1-907-586-3028 (attention sports) or e-mailed to sports@juneauempire.com by noon on Monday so this feature and region standings can be compiled. Coaches and ADs are reminded to send in their team schedules and rosters, if they haven't already done so.